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Cade Cunningham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cade Cunningham
Cade Cunningham Oklahoma State.jpg
Cunningham with Oklahoma State in 2020
No. 2 – Detroit Pistons
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2001-09-25) September 25, 2001 (age 19)
Arlington, Texas
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeOklahoma State (2020–2021)
NBA draft2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–presentDetroit Pistons
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
hide
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2019 Greece Team

Cade Parker Cunningham (born September 25, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Cunningham began high school at Bowie High School in his hometown of Arlington, Texas before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida, where he was rated a consensus five-star recruit and among the top players in the 2020 class by major recruiting services. As a senior, he led one of the best high school teams in history and received national player of the year recognition.

Cunningham committed to playing college basketball for Oklahoma State, becoming the most heralded recruit to ever do so, and was named a consensus first-team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year after his freshman season with the team. He won a gold medal with the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. He was selected with the first overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Early life and career

Cunningham was born in Arlington, Texas to Carrie and Keith Cunningham.[1] He grew up playing football as a quarterback, which he claims helped become a better passer and leader on the basketball court. Cunningham focused on basketball after watching his brother play the sport in college.[2] He frequently played basketball with his father and brother at a recreation center.[3] Cunningham played the point guard position for Barnett Junior High School in Arlington.[4] Since his childhood, he competed for the Texas Titans on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit alongside future TCU player Mike Miles.[5]

High school career

Cunningham attended Bowie High School in Arlington. Soon into his freshman season, he became a starter on the varsity team, which also featured Kyler Edwards.[4][6] Cunningham averaged 15.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and three assists per game, helping Bowie reach the District 6A Region I final. He was subsequently named District 4-6A Newcomer of the Year.[7] In December 2017, early in his sophomore season, he suffered an injury while attempting to dunk at a tournament in Houston.[8] Cunningham finished the season averaging 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He was named District 4-6A co-most valuable player (MVP) and earned Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Region honors.[1][7][9]

Cunningham with the Texas Titans at the EYBL in 2019

Entering his junior year, Cunningham transferred to Montverde Academy, a school in Montverde, Florida with a successful basketball program. He chose Montverde, whose team was ranked number one in the country by USA Today, for its academics and coaching.[10] On February 2, 2019, Cunningham recorded 26 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in a 76–51 win against Oak Hill Academy, one of the top high school teams nationally, at the National Hoopfest tournament.[11] By the end of his junior season, he was averaging 11.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.[12] Following the high school season, Cunningham was named Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) MVP after averaging 25.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game for the Texas Titans in the EYBL regular season.[13] He was teammates with Greg Brown and Mike Miles with the Titans.[14]

For his senior season at Montverde, he was joined by many more top recruits, including five-star forwards Scottie Barnes and Day'Ron Sharpe. Many analysts regarded his team as one of the best in high school basketball history.[15] Cunningham averaged 13.9 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game, leading Montverde to a 25–0 record with an average margin of victory of 39 points. He played only 22 minutes per game due to the depth of his team.[16] At the end of the season, he was honored as Mr. Basketball USA, Naismith Prep Player of the Year and MaxPreps National Player of the Year.[16][17] Cunningham was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, but all three games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18]

Recruiting

Cunningham emerged as a top-25 recruit in the 2020 class at the end of his sophomore season at Bowie. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best players in his class.[19] Cunningham received offers from top NCAA Division I programs, including Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina, but many analysts viewed Oklahoma State as his likely destination after the program hired his brother,  [pl], as an assistant coach.[20] On November 5, 2019, Cunningham announced his commitment to Oklahoma State. He became the highest-ranked committed recruit in program history and the first five-star recruit to join Oklahoma State since Marcus Smart in 2012.[21] In June 2020, the NCAA imposed a postseason ban on Oklahoma State. However, Cunningham announced on June 22 that he would still play for the team.[22]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Cade Cunningham
PG 		Arlington, TX Montverde Academy (FL) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Nov 5, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 1  247Sports: 1  ESPN: 2
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Oklahoma State 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  • "2020 Oklahoma State Cowboys Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.

College career

In his college debut for Oklahoma State on November 25, 2020, Cunningham recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 75–68 win over UT Arlington.[23] On December 8, he scored 29 points, including 13 in the final 91 seconds, in an 83–78 victory over Oral Roberts.[24] Four days later, Cunningham made a game-winning three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to help defeat Wichita State, 67–64.[25] On February 27, 2021, he posted a career-high 40 points and 11 rebounds in a 94–90 overtime win against Oklahoma.[26] The performance helped him earn Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors.[27] Cunningham posted 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists in an 83–74 upset win against top-seeded Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals on March 12, 2021.[28] As a freshman, he averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game.[29]

After his freshman season, Cunningham was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. He was the first Oklahoma State player to earn the distinction since Bob Kurland (1944–46).[30] He became the fourth player to win Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 Freshman of the Year in the same season, joining Marcus Smart, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley.[31] He was unanimously selected to the first-team All-Big 12, the All-Freshman Team and the All-Newcomer Team.[32] Cunningham received major NCAA Division I freshman of the year honors: the Wayman Tisdale Award, Sporting News Freshman of the Year and National Association of Basketball Coaches Freshman of the Year.[33][34][35]

On April 1, 2021, Cunningham announced that he would enter the 2021 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college basketball eligibility. Analysts regarded him as the consensus number one pick in the draft.[36]

Professional career

Detroit Pistons (2021–present)

Cunningham was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.[37] On August 8, 2021, he made his debut in the 2021 NBA Summer League in a 76–72 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in which he posted 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes.[38]

National team career

Cunningham played for the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece.[39] In seven games, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[40] In the finals, Cunningham led all scorers with 21 points along with seven rebounds and seven assists in a 93–79 win over Mali.[41]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Oklahoma State 27 26 35.4 .438 .400 .846 6.2 3.5 1.6 .8 20.1

Personal life

Cunningham's father, Keith Cunningham, played college football for Texas Tech.[42] His older brother  [pl] played college basketball for SMU, surpassing the school record for games played, before spending one professional season in Poland.[43] Cannen later pursued a coaching career, becoming an assistant coach for Oklahoma State entering the 2019–20 season.[44] Cunningham has a daughter named Riley, born in 2018.[45] Cunningham has been a vegan since 2019.[46]

References

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Cade Cunningham". USA Basketball. June 20, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  2. ^ Francisco, Alexandra (January 21, 2019). "Quarterback of the court: How football helped Cade Cunningham become a 5-star basketball prospect". The Republican. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Daniels, Evan (July 1, 2019). "Cade Cunningham excels with u19 team, talks recruiting". 247Sports. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Wright, Mark (January 27, 2017). "Towering Bowie freshman plays like a standout at age 15". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  5. ^ Unruh, Jacob (December 15, 2020). "OSU basketball: Cade Cunningham faces unique challenge this week — his close friends". The Oklahoman. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Scitt, Marshall (November 25, 2020). "Cade Arrives: How an Unlikely No. 1 Recruit Starts a New Era for OSU Hoops". Pistols Firing. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Gosset, Brian (July 19, 2018). "One of the top basketball prospects in DFW is moving out of state to a national power". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  8. ^ Wright, Mark (December 15, 2017). "Why this team isn't freaking out about an injury to its standout sophomore". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  9. ^ "2018 SportsDayHS boys basketball All-District lists for area teams". The Dallas Morning News. March 22, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  10. ^ Riddle, Greg (July 20, 2018). "Why 5-star basketball recruit Cade Cunningham is leaving Arlington Bowie to join the nation's No. 1 HS team". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  11. ^ Collings, Buddy (February 2, 2019). "Montverde beats Oak Hill at Hoopfest in Tampa". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  12. ^ Divens, Jordan (April 17, 2019). "2018-19 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Junior All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  13. ^ "Nike EYBL Most Valuable Player: Cade Cunningham". D1 Circuit. July 5, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  14. ^ Cook, Lyndon (January 8, 2019). "Cunningham continues the Texas Titans - Drive Nation summer arms race". Rivals. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  15. ^ O'Donnell, Ricky (January 21, 2020). "Why Montverde is being called the best high school basketball team ever". SB Nation. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Divens, Jordan (March 25, 2020). "MaxPreps 2019-20 High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Cade Cunningham". MaxPreps. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  17. ^ Nagel, Cody (March 11, 2020). "Cade Cunningham earns Naismith Player of the Year honor". 247Sports. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  18. ^ Jordan, Jason (March 12, 2019). "McDonald's All American Game Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Concerns". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  19. ^ O'Donnell, Ricky (July 26, 2019). "Cade Cunningham is made for modern basketball". SB Nation. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  20. ^ "Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy, Combo Guard". 247Sports.com. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  21. ^ "Cade Cunningham commits to Oklahoma State". Yahoo Sports. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  22. ^ Borzello, Jeff (June 22, 2020). "Top recruit Cade Cunningham still going to Oklahoma State despite postseason ban". ESPN. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  23. ^ "Cunningham double-double helps Oklahoma St. top UT Arlington". Oklahoma State Cowboys. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  24. ^ "Cunningham outduels Abmas, Oklahoma St. beats Oral Roberts". ESPN. Associated Press. December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  25. ^ Boone, Kyle (December 12, 2020). "Watch: Oklahoma State star freshman Cade Cunningham buries late game-winning shot to beat Wichita State". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  26. ^ Medcalf, Myron (February 27, 2021). "Cade Cunningham powers Oklahoma State's NCAA tournament bid -- but will the Cowboys be allowed in?". ESPN. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  27. ^ "Oklahoma State's Cunningham is Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week". United States Basketball Writers Association. March 2, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  28. ^ Borzello, Jeff (March 12, 2021). "Oklahoma State stuns Baylor, nears 'vision' of Big 12 men's tournament title". ESPN. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  29. ^ Rafferty, Scott (April 1, 2021). "Potential No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham declares for 2021 NBA Draft". NBA.com. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  30. ^ "Cade Cunningham Collects NABC Award, Named Consensus First Team All-American". KFOR-TV. March 18, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  31. ^ Medcalf, Myron (March 8, 2021). "Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham named Big 12 men's hoops player of the year". ESPN. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  32. ^ "Cade Earns Big 12 Player, Freshman of the Year Awards, Likekele HM All-Conference". Oklahoma State University Athletics. March 8, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  33. ^ Bonner II, Frank (March 23, 2021). "OSU's Cade Cunningham named Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  34. ^ DeCourcy, Mike (March 9, 2021). "Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham is Sporting News' Freshman of the Year". Sporting News. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  35. ^ Bonner II, Frank (April 2, 2021). "Cade Cunningham earns NABC Freshman of the Year award". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  36. ^ Zucker, Joseph (April 1, 2021). "Cade Cunningham Officially Declares for 2021 NBA Draft; Possible No. 1 Pick". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  37. ^ "'We want Cade!' – wish granted as Pistons grab Cunningham with No. 1 pick". Detroit Pistons. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  38. ^ "Oklahoma City vs. Detroit - Game Summary - August 8, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  39. ^ O'Donnell, Ricky (July 27, 2019). "Meet the future NBA studs carrying USA Basketball as high schoolers". SB Nation. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  40. ^ "Cade Cunningham (USA)'s profile". FIBA. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  41. ^ DeCourcy, Mike (July 7, 2019). "Elite prospect Cade Cunningham helps USA Basketball again conquer FIBA U19 World Cup". Sporting News. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  42. ^ Pulliam, Spencer. "Peach Invitational Tournament: 8th Grade Pool Play Recap (Part I)". Prep Insiders. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  43. ^ "Cannen Cunningham". Tulane Athletics. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  44. ^ "Cannen Cunningham, brother of one of nation's top recruits, joins OSU basketball staff". Tulsa World. June 25, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  45. ^ Unruh, Jacob (March 18, 2021). "What drives Cade Cunningham? How three women in Oklahoma State star's family inspire him". The Oklahoman. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  46. ^ Laurin, Emmanuel (June 13, 2021). "À 19 ans, Cade Cunningham est déjà prêt pour la Grande Ligue". Basket USA (in French). Retrieved July 16, 2021.

External links

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